Senators 2, Sabres 1 (SO)

BUFFALO – Give the game puck to Mike Condon.

The Ottawa Senators back-up goaltender stole a 2-1 victory from the Buffalo Sabres thanks to a superb overtime and shootout. In the process, the Senators came home with a split in their two-game road trip that began in Nashville.

The Senators are now 4-0 in overtime and shootouts, while the Sabres dropped to 0-3 in that situation.

Condon was here, there and everywhere during the five-minute three-on-three session, as the Sabres outshot the Senators 8-0 and caught a couple of good breaks around the net. The Sabres owned the puck for 3:17 of the extra session.

“It’s always good getting shots, staying fresh (in overtime),” said Condon, who caught a break when a Zemgus Girgensons deflection bounced this way and that way, off the crossbar and off the post. “It was just the hockey gods right there, not going across the line. Very luck there. A good hockey bounce.”

Photos: Ottawa Senators at Buffalo Sabres, Nov. 9, 2016

The Ottawa Senators were in Buffalo to play the Sabres in National Hockey League action on Wednesday.

Jake McCabe #29 of the Buffalo Sabres skates into the zone as Matt Puempel #26 of the Ottawa Senators pursues during the first period at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Jean-Gabriel Pageau #44 of the Ottawa Senators with the puck during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Robin Lehner #40 of the Buffalo Sabres makes a save during the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Ryan Dzingel #18 of the Ottawa Senators skates with the puck as Rasmus Ristolainen #55 of the Buffalo Sabres defends during the first period at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Robin Lehner #40 of the Buffalo Sabres makes a save on a shot by Bobby Ryan #9 of the Ottawa Senators as Casey Nelson #34 of the Buffalo Sabres defends during the first period at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Jean-Gabriel Pageau #44 of the Ottawa Senators with the puck behind the net as Jake McCabe #29 of the Buffalo Sabres pursues during the first period at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Kyle Okposo #21 of the Buffalo Sabres skates with the puck during the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Ryan Dzingel #18 of the Ottawa Senators shoots the puck as Josh Gorges #4 of the Buffalo Sabres defends during the first period at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Nicholas Baptiste #73 of the Buffalo Sabres celebrates after scoring a goal on the Ottawa Senators during the first period at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Mike Condon #1 of the Ottawa Senators protects the net during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Buffalo Sabres Nicholas Baptiste celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in Buffalo, N.Y.Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP

Buffalo Sabres' William Carrier (48) is stopped by Ottawa Senators goalie Mike Condon (1) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in Buffalo, N.Y.Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP

Ottawa Senators' Erik Karlsson (65) skates with the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in Buffalo, N.Y.Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP

Marcus Foligno #82 of the Buffalo Sabres is stopped by Mike Condon #1 of the Ottawa Senators as Cody Ceci #5 of the Ottawa Senators defends during the second period at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Brian Gionta #12 of the Buffalo Sabres and Erik Karlsson #65 of the Ottawa Senators talk with referee Eric Furlatt #27 and referee Kendrick Nicholson during the second period at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Kyle Okposo #21 of the Buffalo Sabres skates as Erik Karlsson #65 of the Ottawa Senators looks on during the second period at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Mike Condon #1 of the Ottawa Senators tends net during the second period against the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Ryan Dzingel #18 of the Ottawa Senators celebrates with his team after scoring on Robin Lehner #40 of the Buffalo Sabres during the second period at the KeyBank Center on November 9, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Both Lehner and Condon had positive feelings before this one.

Last Saturday, Lehner stole a victory from the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre, stopping 32 shots in a 2-1 victory.

Condon was fresh from a 27-save shutout in his Senators’ debut last Thursday, a 1-0 victory over Vancouver.

In keeping with that, both goaltenders were sharp throughout. The Senators outshot the Sabres 29-24 in regulation.

After a slow start, the Senators tied the game 1-1 on a superb individual effort by Ryan Dzingel at the 7:15 mark of the second.

Dzingel took a Derick Brassard pass at his own blue-line, sped through the neutral zone and backed up the Sabres’ defence.

He then split the defence tandem of Rasmus Ristolainen and Dmitry Kulikov before tucking the puck past Lehner on the short side.

It was the kind of highlight-type goal that Connor McDavid has made famous.

The bonus for the Senators is that Brassard picked up an assist, his first point in six games.

“Usually, I try to go wide, but there was a big enough gap (between the defencemen), so I tried it and it worked out,” said Dzingel. “Just put my head down and tried to fly through the gap and it worked out.”

Dzingel credited Condon for playing a major role in helping the Senators pick up four out of a possible four points in his two starts since arriving in a trade from Pittsburgh.

“Two great games,” said Dzingel. “This one and last one, he has been playing awesome, coming in and making his presence known like he has. Hats off to him.”

The Dzingel goal gave the Senators life as they carried the play for a long stretch.

As strong as the period was, the Senators were in perfect position to take a lead late in the period when they were handed a 5-on-3 manpower advantage for 1:24.

They did little with the opportunity — Lehner made fairly routine stops off of Mike Hoffman and Turris — setting up the third-period finish.

Given the tight-checking nature of the Senators’ system, it’s pivotal that the Senators produce with the man advantage. They entered the game ranked 24th in the league on the power play.

The Sabres broke the ice way back at the 2:49 mark of the first, when Baptiste ripped a shot past Condon following a faceoff win deep in the Senators’ zone.

It was the first goal allowed by Condon in a Senators’ uniform and it was the second NHL goal for Baptiste, a third-round Sabres’ pick in 2013, who grew up in Barrhaven.

The low-scoring game shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise.

Scoring — or lack, thereof — was a major concern for both teams heading into the game.

The Senators, who flew into Buffalo early in the morning following Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat to Nashville, had scored only five goals in their previous four games. For the season, the Senators had 30 goals in 12 games — a 2.42 average that ranked 23rd in the NHL.

The Senators were anxious to get back on the ice, putting behind them what coach Guy Boucher described as their worst effort among the club’s opening dozen games.

In his mind, it was mostly about the players’ mindset, losing their focus as a defence-first squad after falling behind early and being thwarted by strong goaltending.

While Boucher kept together the top line of Ryan, Brassard and Mark Stone, he juggled elsewhere.

Dzingel moved up to play with Turris and Zack Smith, while Mike Hoffman — who had a weak game in Nashville — was bumped down to play with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Tom Pyatt.

The Sabres, missing top flight offensive stars Jack Eichel and Ryan O’Reilly, were coming off a 4-0 defeat to Boston on Monday.

They had only scored 25 goals in 12 games and they went into the game on a scoreless drought of 71:38, dating back to Saturday’s win against the Senators.

Baptiste ended that streak quickly, beating Condon between the pads. One-time Senator Derek Grant and former Senators farmhand Cole Schneider also picked up assists, making the goal an all ex-Ottawa marker.

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